Once upon a time, there was a Princess* who lived in the magical land known as Smurf Kitchen. One morning, after getting out of her magical princess bed (i.e. mattress on the floor filling in for the undelivered new bed) and being dressed by magical singing woodland creatures (i.e. her arms), she realised that she was in a baking mood.

Being a Good Princess, she put a lid on this mood in order to make a magical delivery of magical chocolates to her mother (who is neither evil, step-, nor fairy in nature), because her mother was facing a Sad Happening that the Princess wanted, but was unable, to wish away.

After completing the chocolate mission and using her housemate’s golden hair to climb back into Smurf Kitchen through the third-floor window, the Princess realised she still wanted to bake. Sadly, she had been cursed by the Wicked Witch of Limited Pantries, and did not have much to bake with.

The Princess was an enterprising lass, though, and remembered a certain Flourless Peanut Butter recipe that she had noted both in a Real Paper Cookbook and on several friends’blogs. It involved merely one cup of peanut butter, one cup of white/caster sugar, and one egg.

Easy peasy, thought the Princess.

Well, yes and no. Where’s the fun in making a recipe that many people have done before? Particularly when it’s such a simple recipe, and you are a Princess who waxes lyrical about flavours like Chocolate and Coconut or Kangaroo and Quinoa.

Exactly. This Princess needed some pizzazz in her peanut butter cookies. First, she replaced the caster sugar with light muscovado sugar. Then she added cinnamon. Almost there, the Princess thought.

What happened next is called, in cartoon parlance, a Light Bulb Moment. Can you spot the magical fairytale ingredient that the Princess, giggling as she went, snuck into her cookie batter?

Yeah I did.

Because of the Princess’ sugar amendment, these cookies behaved a bit differently to the original recipe’s cookies. The muscovado made the batter very wet, which meant that it had to be somewhat plopped, not rolled into balls, onto the baking tray. Also (because of the sugar), the cookies spread out a lot and became quite thin and chewy-on-the-inside, crispy-on-the-outside.

I suppose you’d like to hear what the Tabasco Cinnamon Peanut Butter Cookies tasted like?

Well, they tasted like awesome. Pure, unadulterated awesome. Sometimes the first thing the Princess tasted was peanut butter with crispy, chewy caramel notes (from the muscovado sugar). Other times, though, she’d take a bite and a tiny little eensy weensy zing would emerge at the back of her throat, while another tiny little eensy weensy bit of fruity Tabasco flavour** danced on the tip of her tongue.

In less than 48 hours, the Princess ate 14 of 18 cookies. Some straight-up, some crumbled over and semi-melted into hot oatmeal. Then more straight-up.

(This is my halved, adapted version of the standard recipe mentioned above. Feel free to double for a full batch – I did half because I knew my housemate wouldn’t go near the cookies with a twenty-foot pole. I got 18 out of the following.)

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Mix all ingredients together. Roll/somehow get rounded teaspoons of dough onto the tray, leaving room for spreading (which I didn’t quite allow enough room for, as you can see in the photo above).
3. Bake 8-10 minutes, until cooked to your liking.
4. Daintily gobble up, Princess-style, enjoying the interplay of sweetness, nuttiness, and heat. Repeat the Princess’ own words upon tasting her first cookie: “I’m a little bit in love with myself right now”.

* Because only princesses live in Once Upon A Time World. Not potential PhDs trying to decide if/when to start said PhD.

** Tabasco lovers will know what I mean. Because Tabasco has heat, of course, but it also has that slight fruitiness that resides in chillies and capsicums, seeing as they’re technically fruit.

Princess’s mother was thrilled to find said chocolate sitting on her laptop when she returned from the Sad Happening. They made her feel loved, even if still sad. And, if the Princess ever decided to make Flourless Tabasco Cinnamon CASHEW Butter Cookies, her mother would happily try them even if her flatmate wouldn’t.

Princess’s mother was thrilled to find said chocolate sitting on her laptop when she returned from the Sad Happening. They made her feel loved, even if still sad. And, if the Princess ever decided to make Flourless Tabasco Cinnamon CASHEW Butter Cookies, her mother would happily try them even if her flatmate wouldn’t.

I made the vegan version of the original version of your recipe once. Flax seeds instead of egg, and they were so rich and delicious that I couldn’t stop eating them, even though they were fairly gooey and fall aparty. I reckon your crunchy outsides are totally where it’s at.

PS – Do a PhD! And come to the sociology conference in Sydney in December!

I made the vegan version of the original version of your recipe once. Flax seeds instead of egg, and they were so rich and delicious that I couldn’t stop eating them, even though they were fairly gooey and fall aparty. I reckon your crunchy outsides are totally where it’s at.

PS – Do a PhD! And come to the sociology conference in Sydney in December!

Brilliant and resourceful! When I read it was peanut butter + mystery ingredient, I immediately thought HEAT, but I wasn’t sure what spice would come to the table. Sweet paprika, perhaps? I would never have thought to add Tabasco!

Then I brainstormed for other alternatives. Since I’ve been in a stir-fry phase lately, I immediately thought — Sriracha! And then, ew. No garlic in my peanut butter cookies, thanks.

Oh by the way, I noticed you used the Kraft Light peanut butter…. did you find any adverse textural outcomes from the low-fat version?? My friend and I recently made a similar biscuit (though sadly sans tabasco!!), and we only had light PB, and they came out slightly….odd… texturally. Otherwise delicious, but something was just a bit off with the consistency. We put it down to the low(er) fat content.. just wondering if you’ve experienced that problem, oh wise princess of PBdom?

Whisperinggums: If the Princess’s mother wanted to gift the Princess with a jar of cashew butter (darn things are expensive… maybe some tempeh, the new Lindt white chocolate with almonds, and organic oatbran while you’re at it?) then she’d be more than happy to whip up an adapted batch!

Amber: Thank you! And believe you me, if we had any kinds of hot sauce apart from Tabasco readily available here in Aus, I’d be all over them! What are your faves in the US?

TheHungryScholar: Squee!!! Hurrah! I’m hoping to go to the markets this Sunday to get yours!

Lisa: Oh, please let me know what you think if you do!! 😀

Stacy: Thank you! Maybe I should write a fairytale cookbook 😀

Kath: *wipes tears of laughter from eyes* I so hope you and Sapphire try this – I desperately want to know what other people think!

Vaala: I was quite proud of that sentence 😛 Maybe we coudl be tiara-less Paperbag Princesses instead? That princess was awesome.

Theresa: I actually thought of using the flax-egg substitution, but my pantry definitely doesn’t have ground flax yet. Soon… Eeek! Sociology conference in December?? I wish! I’ll let you know what’s happening with the PhD as soon as I’m sure 🙂

L-Izzle: Can you convince a man to think that, please? 😀

Lauren: Gosh, I have wanted to try Sriracha for so long! I keep hearing about its deliciousness, but we ain’t got it Down Under! I think sweet paprile *could* work, but my smoked paprika would definitely have been too strong! (P.S. at least Sriracha cookies would keep the campires at bay.)

L-Izzle (again): Dear heavens, how closely do you inspect my photos?! I definitely haven’t experienced any weird textural issues from using this PB. What brand was yours? ((I’m desperately telling myself NOT to make another batch with my cookie dough peanut butter right now…))

Whisperinggums: If the Princess’s mother wanted to gift the Princess with a jar of cashew butter (darn things are expensive… maybe some tempeh, the new Lindt white chocolate with almonds, and organic oatbran while you’re at it?) then she’d be more than happy to whip up an adapted batch!

Amber: Thank you! And believe you me, if we had any kinds of hot sauce apart from Tabasco readily available here in Aus, I’d be all over them! What are your faves in the US?

TheHungryScholar: Squee!!! Hurrah! I’m hoping to go to the markets this Sunday to get yours!

Lisa: Oh, please let me know what you think if you do!! 😀

Stacy: Thank you! Maybe I should write a fairytale cookbook 😀

Kath: *wipes tears of laughter from eyes* I so hope you and Sapphire try this – I desperately want to know what other people think!

Vaala: I was quite proud of that sentence 😛 Maybe we coudl be tiara-less Paperbag Princesses instead? That princess was awesome.

Theresa: I actually thought of using the flax-egg substitution, but my pantry definitely doesn’t have ground flax yet. Soon… Eeek! Sociology conference in December?? I wish! I’ll let you know what’s happening with the PhD as soon as I’m sure 🙂

L-Izzle: Can you convince a man to think that, please? 😀

Lauren: Gosh, I have wanted to try Sriracha for so long! I keep hearing about its deliciousness, but we ain’t got it Down Under! I think sweet paprile *could* work, but my smoked paprika would definitely have been too strong! (P.S. at least Sriracha cookies would keep the campires at bay.)

L-Izzle (again): Dear heavens, how closely do you inspect my photos?! I definitely haven’t experienced any weird textural issues from using this PB. What brand was yours? ((I’m desperately telling myself NOT to make another batch with my cookie dough peanut butter right now…))

hahahaha I only notice because I spend an awful lot of time perusing the condiment/spread aisle, and I’ve learnt to be very switched on to subtle packaging differences, after having made many, MAAAANY unintentional slightly-wrong-well-not-really-wrong-but-not-what-i-wanted purchases.

that sentence was absolute shit. i apologise.

[oh and it was the woolies own brand light peanut butter. i did notice a slightly sawdusty texture when eating it normally, in a let’s-pad-this-out-with-shredded-newspaper-to-make-it-go-farther-and-reduce-the-overall-fat-content sorta way…. but i didn’t really mind. but in the biscuits, it just seemed simultaneously too dry/not adhesive enough, and oddly and kind of unpleasantly oily/chewy/somethingy]

Clever you, adding tabasco – I would have felt quite daring simply sprinkling in the cinnamon! These sound strangely delicious – you have a good way of describing flavours that are initially a bit scary (scarier even than the thought of being clothed by a deer and some hapless bluebirds)

Cholula is a popular, and pretty tasty, Mexican-style hot sauce, but WHEN you come here, I can take you to specialty stores that have entire walls of nothing but hot sauces :] In the meantime, I think this goes on the bloggie-swap list; agree? 😀

L-Izzle: Thanks for that piece of info – now I’ll know not to include peanut butter in my home-brand purchases 🙂 (I fully embraced my budget-student-ish-living today when I saw wholemeal pasta on sale at Coles. I now own more pasta than I have in all my previous years combined.) P.S. Don’t be greedy with me. Share the love. 😀

Laura: Thanks Laura – I hope it does too. And thank you for your lovely words… if only someone would employ me to write about scary things in a make-them-less-scary way! 🙂

Simply Life: They tasted pretty good too 🙂

Amber: Yes please! As soon as I get my PhD-or-not/some-sort-of-employment situation sorted out, we’ll have to start truly working out our bloggie swap 😀

Toby/Whisperinggums: I think I might leave the gluten-free tag on, seeing as the Tabasco company itself seems to have confirmed Tabasco to be gluten-free? Do let me know if you’ve have confirmation that it’s not, though!

oh but you left out the choc chips – never mind I can guarantee that in my house at least one person would love these because he douses everything I cook in tabasco and loves cinnamon chilli hot chocolate – unfortunately I am trying to cure his tabasco habit and am unlikely to try this combination but he can only dream!

Hope your mum’s sad happening isn’t all-consuming and that your flatmate never cuts her hair or you will never be able to leave the smurf kitchen down her golden tresses and those chocolate supplies will run out one day 🙂

Johanna: I wish your husband had been here! Sharing them might’ve been good for my system… I ate 18 cookies in just over two days (I offered them to three friends – two were allergic to peanuts and the third was vegan). I’ll inform my housemate that I have the final say in what she does with her hair – she’ll love that 😀

Lorraine: Hurrah! If only some of my friends in Canberra felt the same about trying the cookies! Teehee, you really think I should make a habit of the fairytales? Because if you do, I probably will 😀

Agnes: *bows* Why thank you! 😀 Though you’re just saying that because you plan to sell my first-born for candy.

And it’s not a diet, per se… they just make the peanuts eat a lot of cabbage soup and do a hundred crunches before bed. And, you know, strip them of all self-worth. But apart from that they’re happy. 😛 (I’ll have to go read the ingredients, but I think it just means there’s extra salt, sugar, and “maltodextrin”, whatever the bollocks that is… so, you know, less of healthy stuff and more of the bad-for-you stuff.)

[…] My head isn’t an entirely loopy place to be. Sure, I like to keep things interesting by adding Tabasco to my peanut butter cookies and, when given the chance, designing a customised chocolate bar topped with edamame, curry powder […]

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About

Hannah. Writer, editor, firm believer in socks, gin, laughter, buttered toast, cheesecake, and semicolons. Currently back in Canberra after two years living in Canada; heart tingling to see what happens next.